Tag: art

Once a year come sundown, Toronto’s streets overflow with pedestrian gridlock. Common sights and sounds include:

Perplexed expressions

Raised eyebrows

Smartphones used in lieu of flashlights to decipher maps

The phrase “Is this art?!” in confused tones

Collective “oooo-ing” and “aaaah-ing”

It can only be one night – the all-night art festival Nuit Blanche!

I braved the crowds for a few hours last weekend, timing my departure a bit later than in previous years in an effort to avoid the bulk of crowds. It wasn’t a terrible move, although by 12:30 a.m. it was clear I was beginning to be outnumbered by inebriated “art fans” so I headed home. These were my favourites:

Queen of the Parade by Lisa Anita Wegner, Vanessa Lee Wishart

Forever Bicycles by Ai Weiwei

Plastic Bags by Pascale Marthine Tayou

Familia by Bruno Billio

Though not included in the photos above, another interesting installation was Night Shift by Brendan Fernandes. Inspired by Louis XIV’s Le Ballet de la Nuit, the performers spent the entire night dancing, making and transporting gold confetti in anticipation of the Sun King’s appearance at sunrise. This was…a bit frustrating to watch. One guy, who likely wore a groove into the floor by sunrise, picked up confetti ONE PIECE AT A TIME to carry it from one side of the room to the other. A man behind me poked through the crowd to see what we were all staring at, commented on the inefficient work and jetted out of there in search of “actual art.” To each their own.

And that’s the beauty of the event. Some of it is super weird. Some of it is accessible for everyone. And it ultimately creates conversation.

You can check out Forever Bicycles in Nathan Phillips Square until October 27 – I highly recommend it. Just don’t climb up it, that’s what trees and parks are for.

Like this:

Luminato wrapped up on Sunday in Toronto after a week(ish) of celebrations surrounding creativity. On my way home from work on Friday I popped into Brookfield Place to check out Stockpile. Nine visual artists working together on one installation and a hilariously awesome one at that – a life-sized arcade-style claw machine filled with prizes! Not just any prizes, however, for these were all donated from the community.

The artists themselves were the claw, and for $2 you could have a go and try your darndest to win a prize. Unlike the smaller versions of the game, most went home very happy. Someone won a globe, people! Pretty sweet.

Like this:

I’m a very, very amateur photographer, and Toronto is very kind on folks like me and provides ample opportunities for great photos. I really love graffiti – there are pockets all over the city (that haven’t been covered up yet, thankfully) to enjoy, particularly around Queen West. Always keep a camera handy – you never know what you might stumble upon!